Finally Found Freedom
by XXHotSparklesXX
Summary: Koriand'r is not of this world. She is a prize for the prince of Bludhaven. Kori has always dreamed of freedom, to be herself. But she never thought that she would fall in love with the prince himself. He is cocky, arrogant, and mysterious. Yet at some points, he is thoughtful, caring, and sweet. Follow Koiriand'r as she finds love and freedom and joy where she least expects it.R
1. Her new home

**Author's note: Ok so here is a really short preview of my next story. I know I haven't updated in a long time but I'm getting here so no worries. So please Review and give me your thoughts about this one!:)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Titans...pfftt duh! :P**

**Kori POV:**

They call me Koriand'r. The star of fire. And I am to be a gift to the kingdom of Bludhaven. A prize to the Prince of Bludhaven. His name? Richard. I know nothing of the strange land I have been sent to. I am not of this world but Tamaran. A place where my people run free. We are of magic, and wisdom, and strength.

There has been war, and I am the peace holder, for I am the next in line to the throne.

As I ride through the town, towards the castle up on the hill, the villagers look at me. But not with curiosity, or welcome, but with disgust and fear. My red hair and green eyes is not common here and neither is my tanned skin and the marks I bear on my arms and legs. As I am led to the castle walls, I become nervous. Never have I seen such glorious mountains and such a beautiful castle.

_It's so big_ I thought.

A man, very old by the name of Alfred, introduces himself as the head servant.

"I welcome you, Koriand'r of Tamaran. I hope you treat the castle as your home", He says.

He is very nice. I nod and say" Of course sir, 'tis such a remarkable home".

My eyes wander around, taking in the beauty and structure of the inside walls. Then, Alfred speaks.

"My lady, his lordship the King, Bruce Wayne of Bludhaven." Alfred gestures toward a huge man with dark hair and a chiseled face. I bow and introduce myself.

"It's a pleasure to meet you my King." I say, a bit nervous.

"There is no need for that young Koriand'r, you are now in my home and you will address me as Bruce. No more, no less. Is that alright?" he asks.

"Of course my Ki-Bruce". I smile. I was nervous at his size, but now I see he is what they call a "gentle giant".

**Normal POV**:

I hear quick steps that seem to belong to a man.

"Alfred fetch me my horse and-" Richard stops mid-sentence and stares at the green haired beauty.

Kori blushes. The man she presumes to be Richard was much more handsome than they say. His piercing blue eyes and black as coal hair captivates you. But Kori knew better than to stare. She was strong.

Kori bows and then looks up at Prince Richard.

"Greetings, my lord. I am Koriand'r of Tamaran, sent as a gift to you. I hope we become good friends, my lord." Kori says.

Richard simply stares. Taking in the vast curls of her red hair, green eyes, and tanned skin. Not to mention the various marks across her arms and legs and neck.

Ignoring her second attempt at re-introducing herself, thinking he didn't hear her, Richard turns to Alfred once again.

"Alfred, please, would you fetch me my horse. I would like to go riding. "Before either Alfred or Bruce can say anything, he quickly adds "Alone."

"Of course Master Grayson". Richard and Alfred leave for what she presumed to be the stables. But not before Richard sends her one last glance.

"Excuse my son, Kori. May I call you that?" Bruce asks.

"Of course my- Bruce". She replies.

"Let me show you to your room". Bruce starts to lead Kori upstairs to the second floor and into a hallway. He stops in front of the third door on the right.

"This will be your room. I'm sure it will be to your liking. Please, if you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask Alfred or me. Or Richard." he says.

"Oh, I do not think Richard likes me very much. But thank you, I'm sure the room is fine." Kori bows one last time and starts to head inside, but before she closes the door behind her, Bruce says one last thing.

"Give my son some time, I'm sure he likes you very much. Besides, you've already caught his attention, so I would be cautious." With that, he leaves, disappearing through the endless hallway.

Kori didn't have a clue at what he meant by being cautious. Her stay here wasn't permanent. She would just have to deal and make the best of it.

But as soon as she lay in bed her thoughts began to wonder back to Richard. And soon after she was asleep, she dreamed. She dreamed of the freedom she longed so much for, and of the prince himself.

**Author's note: Sooo, what do ya think? Please tell me if you guys like it and want me to continue it. I may have to up the rating though, because there will be love in this story, but not too much. We'll see. R&R Please!**


	2. Remembering

**AUTHORS NOTE: Hey guys! Thank you so much for all the reviews I got. So this is the next chapter of Finally Found Freedom. But first, I'll reply to the reviews :)**

**Sophia: I was thinking of doing that too. I'll add some flashbacks of how it was for her to leave her parents and stuff. Thank you!**

**I'm Not A Princess: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it!**

**Guest: Thank you for your review. And I will keep this story goin :D**

**eternalsmiles: Thank you. And yes, there will be drama to come! :)**

**TheGurlWithTheCurls10: Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it! And I know that the last chapter was very short, but only because it was just sort of like an intro not a real chapter :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the teen titans **

**Chapter 2: Remembering**

**Past Tamaran: Kori POV**

_Fire. Screams. Darkness._

_That's all you hear. All you listen to. All you can see._

_The war has been going on for a while now. I'm scared. Frightened. My family and I are in our home, watching, waiting, listening._

_Our soldiers have been fighting for days, weeks, months. They have not stopped. My sister, Koma, wants to join them, to fight for Tamaran's glory. My little brother is the same. And so am I._

_My mother walks over to us where we sit in anticipation._

_"My darling children. All will be fine. I promise". She gets up to go to y father and they hold each other tightly. Their love so strong, you can see it through their eyes. They were planning to go into battle as well. So this was the only time we were going to be together as a family. The Royal family._

_"Please Mother, no. Don't go!" I cry you to her._

_"I'm so sorry darling. Take care of each other. For me. And your father". She turns to go._

_My father comes and gives us each kisses and hugs. Then goes to follow Mother._

_"No! Daddy! "Ryand'r, my little brother, cries out to him. Then we all cry. Holding each other tightly._

My dream is to be free. Free from pain, agony, lies, and loving someone who ends up disappearing.

My family was killed during battle while protecting those they love and their country. My older sister and little brother were also murdered that same night, right in front of me. My country needed help, so we turned to Bludhaven, a kingdom on Earth. With their funds, and army, we were able to stop the war for now. But with a catch. I was to be collateral, a prize for the prince, and live on Earth. I was scared that day my uncle told me I was supposed to go and live there, leaving him. Even though we were taught Earth's customs when we were young, I never imagined actually having to use those customs.

I'm scared.

_"Mother, I'm scared" I say_

_"Darling, whatever happens, I will always be with you". She pointed to my heart, kissed my father, and disappeared. That was the last time I saw my mother._

No. NO! I scream.

I wake up breathing heavily and sweating hard. _Just a dream_.

I check the clock hung on the wall opposite of my bed, and see that it's 5:30 A.M.

_Might as well get up now, I thought._

I go into to bathroom and check my reflection in the mirror and gasp. I have dark circles under my eyes, and tear streak my face. I scrub my face with water and I take a bath. After I finished my cleansing, I wear my dress. It was a full gown is made from a dark, emerald green velvet and is accented with silver-colored trim and back lacing, and silver satin lining on the arm tippets. The back of the gown laces up and features a fold-over flap under the lacing leaving your back unexposed unless you untie the laces.

I left my hair down, leaving it wavy and fall down my waist. I put on a gold hair circlet and walk out my door- only to bump into Lord Grayson himself.

He looks me up and down, eyes lingering on my lips, and then gazing into my eyes.

I bow." Good morning, my lord. I hope you slept well". I say, with a small smile.

"Good morning. And yes, I slept well. But I'm sure I would have slept much better with you in my bed. Perhaps it can be arranged? You _are _my prize, are you not?" he says, with a smirk. And with that he bows and stalks down the hallway towards the dining room.

I stand there, staring down where he disappeared. Never had I been talked to someone like that. How dare he! Of all the disgusting, arrogant, horrible things I've heard about him, I never thought he would be so bold as to talk to me like that.

I hate him. I know for a fact now, I hate him.

During breakfast, Bruce had to leave for some business so I was alone with Richard. It was actually very quiet, and I was in no mood to talk, for I was still really angry at him. After we finished, I went to explore the castle. If I was going to live here, might as well know about it. I found out that there were 23 rooms, 16 bathrooms, and two libraries, two very small ones, and one very large. I decided to spend the rest of the day in there.

I walked down the aisle admiring the many books to be found, in all different shapes and forms. One caught my eye. It was big and black, with a raven on the cover. I decided to read that one, so I sat in a chair in the corner and began to read:

**Long ago, in a magical village in a country called Azarath, a beautiful woman lived. Her name was Arella. She was courageous, and special. All the villagers turned to her for advice, and she always obliged. One day a strange man came to the village asking for Arella. Accepting his offer, she went to him. He had told her to meet him in the forest. When she was there, he told her that he'd been watching her for a long time, and that he was in love with her. Arella was very confused though, she did not know this man, so she couldn't simply agree to be with him.**

I paused to shift my position and continued to read:

**The next few days, the mysterious man kept coming to Arella. Telling her about himself. He told her that his name was Trigon, he was an only child, and that he loved to read and write and he loved people. Arella became quickly fond of this man. They soon shared meals with each other, and she realized that she had fallen in love with him. So they married. The village was happy for Arella. Soon, Arella became pregnant with Trigon's daughter. That was when Trigon began to change. He became evil and started to hurt the villagers. Arella tried to stop him, but she couldn't. After giving birth to her child, Trigon killed his wife, and took the child for himself. They say that Trigon bestowed his daughter with a curse,, a curse for being forever evil and that she will bring destruction to whoever she meets. The villagers killed Trigon, and left the young witch in the tower, to live the rest of her days in solitude. That is how she became known as Raven. The witch of Bludhaven.**

I got up and put the book back into its place. It was an interesting book. I wonder if it's true about the witch. Even though I was trying to think of the book more, my thoughts kept running to Richard.

Normal POV:

Kori was walking along the castle grounds, listening to the birds and then she saw the tower. The same tower from the book she read.

_It can't be true. Can it? Is there really a witch up there? _Kori thought.

She was going to have to look into this. But who would she ask? Certainly not Richard. That horrible, rude, arrogant prick of a man.

_If I see him one more time I swear I'll-_

Kori's thoughts were interrupted when she nearly crashed into him while turning the corner of the courtyard. He seemed surprised to see her, but then the surprised facial expression turned into a smirk.

"Well well well, if it isn't young Koriand'r. Are you back to accept my offer to keep my bed warm and comfy.. I'm sure I suit your needs well enough". Richard says.

Kori wasn't going to take this, but she had to calm down.

"My lord, I'm _so _sorry to have to say this, but frankly, you're not my...type, so I'll have to decline your kind offer. Besides, if I ever step foot into your bedroom, it will only be because I plan to kill you". Kori smiled her sweet smiles and turned away, leaving a very surprised man behind. Or so she thought.

Kori barely took two steps until she was smashed into his well-toned muscular chest and was forced to face him.

"Why you little brat. You think you can just march here with you quick wits and expect me to listen to your sour remarks. All you are is a _prize_, no more and no less. So if I were you, I would hold that tongue of yours and keep quiet, like a good little girl." Richard expected a retort from the red-haired beauty, but he caught a flicker of fear in her eyes. They became clouded as if she was in a trance.

"Koriand'r? Kori. Kori! Are you alright?" Richard thought it might have been the sun, little did he know that Kori, at that very moment, was reliving a nightmare.

FLASHBACK:

We hear crashes, my brother, sister, and I. Then a scream that sounded much like her servant's. The door to the room they were hiding in swung open, revealing a tall man, with dark hair and cold eyes.

"There you are. There's no use in hiding children." He said, walking toward us.

The big man grabbed Koma by the arm and held a knife to her throat. Koma was just about to hit him when he slashed her throat, killing her. Then everything happened so fast, Kori didn't have time to register any of it.

All of a sudden her room was filled with soldiers, he army and the other country's army.

Another man, who looked very much like the one that killed her sister, through a knife at Ryand'r's chest, killing him. Kori tried to scream, tried to run. But she was stuck. She couldn't move.

"That's what happens when you play with fire, child. Now keep quiet, like a good little girl". The strange man lifted his knife, about to strike when Kori's father smashed into him.

They fought, head to head, but her father ended up dying. Her mother was next. Now Kori was all alone. She crawled to her dying mother and said, "Mother please. I'm scared. Don't' leave me!"

"Darling, whatever happens, I will always be with you". she said.

END FLASHBACK:

KORI POV:

Darkness, that's all I see. There was a flicker of light, and then nothing. I hear a man's voice, telling me to wake up, saying everything is fine, but I can't believe him. I know that nothing will ever be fine. My parents, my family, they're gone.

My body is shaking and I realize that someone is trying to wake me up. I open my eyes to see a worried Richard holding onto me, his face inches from mine.

"Kori. Kori, can you hear me? Are you alright?"He asks.

I shake my head "No, their gone Richard, my parents, my brother and sister, their gone" I end up crying in his shoulder, while he holds me, whispering sweet nothings in my ear.

I look around and see that he must have carried me into his bedroom, and laid me on his bed. He wraps a blanket and tells me to sleep, while getting up to leave.

I grab his hand to stop him."Please, stay with me. Please?" I say, frightened to be left alone.

Richard nods and comes into the covers with me and we snuggle close. As he strokes my hair, I doze off to sleep, in the arms of Richard Grayson, the man I thought I hated.


	3. Let's Call It A Truce

**Hey guys! Thank you for so many reviews and favorites! You're all just too kind! Well here's chapter 3: Let's Call it a Truce. Special thanks to the following:**

**TriniPrincess, AnnieSweet, kimminightwing, TheGirlWithTheCurls10, I'm Not A Princess, robstarfan723, Botticelli Grayson, Sophia, and eternalsmiles... oh and Guest**

**Disclaimer: I don't Not own Teen Titans**

**Enjoy~**

**KORI POV:**

I woke up in Richards arms. They were so soft, yet strong and firm. I noticed that his shirt wasn't on and I blushed. He probably took it off late that night. I felt protected in a way, and very happy. Then, all memories of yesterday came flooding back to me.

I remembered how Richard held me as I cried, and how I had asked him to stay with me, so he stayed. I could not believe it. I told him to stay, and he actually did. How could I be so...stupid!

I can feel his warm breath on my neck, and I realize that it's not so bad. It felt so good, so right. I decided that I should just enjoy it while it lasts. I snuggle closer to Richard and drifted off to sleep.

NORMAL POV:

Richard woke up feeling really good for the first time in months. He hadn't been sleeping well lately, but seeing Kori in his arms, with their legs entangled, he slept like an angel. He looked at Kori and pondered whether or not to wake her. He thought it would be best to wake her up now, while it was still slightly early in the morning. Richard gently squeezed Kori, causing her to stir.

Kori opened her eyes and looked straight into Richard's piercing blue ones. They simply stared at each other for a while. Moments passed and Kori's gaze moved downward towards his bare chest.

She realized that she was looking him up and down, staring at his chest. She blushed, looked up at him, and quietly cleared her throat.

"Good morning" she said.

"Good morning..." Richard paused for a moment before asking, "Are you alright?"

Kori took this time to untangle herself from Richard. As she moved away from him, she felt cold and alone. Ignoring the loneliness and the urge to snuggle back closer to him, Kori sat up.

"I'm fine, my lord". She said.

"No, you're not. Kori, something happened yesterday. It was as if you were under some sort of spell or trance. Tell me. What happened?"

Kori broke, unable to hold it in.

"It was what you said! It...it reminded me of what happened back in my home. My sister and brother were killed right in front of me Richard. _Right in front of me. _The man who killed them, he called me the same thing you did_. Little girl_. "Kori shivered in fear and disgust before she stood up and paced the room. Unable to look into Richard's eyes, she continued.

"He slit my sister's throat and stabbed my brother. He was only a child! My mother...oh my mother".

Kori sank to the floor, hugged her knees and wept. Wept for her parents. Wept for her siblings. And her home, her country.

Richard came over, crouched, and hugged her.

"Koriand'r, darling, don't cry. You cannot change the past, but you can look to the future. Your family would have wanted that more than anything. How about I go and get Alfred to make us a delicious breakfast while you clean yourself up? Then, we can go out riding to get your mind off of things... and we can call it a truce between us. Okay?"

"I've never been riding before". Kori said, after she finished her weeping."You do it on a horse yes?"

"Yes. And don't worry, I'll be your personal instructor. Now go and clean up. You can use my bath."

With that, Richard bent down, kissed Kori's forehead and left the room.

_Why was he being so kind to me? _Kori thought. _Oh well._

She got up from her crouched position and went into the bathroom to bathe. Kori didn't just wash her body, but she cleansed her mind and worries. Richard wanted to call it a truce. This meant that he wanted to be friends.

Kori smiled at the idea.

_Friends would be great, _she thought.

Kori dressed and went out the door. It was going to be a great day. The first she's had in a long time.

**Note: I know I know. Very boring and short. Sorry guys but I've been kind of busy with school and stuff but I promise that the next chap will be longer.**

**Chapter 4: Making New Friends**

**In the next chapter Kori will meet the Town's blacksmith Victor Stone, and she will meet the castle's Gardener Garfield. And Richard has a surprise for Kori. Will it be good? Bad? I don't even know yet so tune in :P**

**Special thanks to all my reviewers once again! Love you all! R&R!**


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